Assigstos to packard motor  cab



March 11.2, 1929. H. D. CHURCH *l 4 MOTOR VEHICLE Filed sept 25, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet l Iljlunlll M March 12,1929. H. D. CHURCH MOTOR VEHICLE Filed Sept. 25, 1919 zzo 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 remita Mm. ia, ieee. l

entran Meana ostina.

HAROLD D; CHURCH, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, essrenonro PACKARD Moron een COMPANY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, a'oonroae'rronor MICHIGAN.

MOTQR VEHICLE.

v r1`his invention relates to motor vehicles and particularly to the driving` axle construction. One of the objects of the invention is to provide a driving axle of'light weight for 5 given load and torque capacity. l

Another object is to provide maximum road clearance in an axle having reduction gearing at the middle part of the axle. y

,Other objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of this specili-V cation, and in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a? driving axle embodying the invention; and-` Figure 2 is a similar view showing another form ofthe invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1, 10

represents the driving and 11 the driven gear forming a pair of 'driving gears of a driving axle." The gear 10 is driven from the vehicle y env'ine not shown) through the shaft 12, and the gear 11 is shown as mountedon a differential housing 13. In the housing are d1fferential pinions 14 (one only being shown) and r differential gears 15, of the bevel .or other usual type.

As the axle is the same on both sides of the differential, only one vside will be described in detail. Anaxle shaft or section'16 is arranged for connection with the vehicle wheel (not shown) at the outer end of the axle, and

between the gears 10, 11, and this shaft 16 is arranged a reduction gearing of the planetary type. A pinion 17 1s keyed or otherwise seshown'as formed of several sections of which.

said ring gear 19 is one. Thus there is a middle section 21, a section formed by the ring gear 19, a bearing section 22, and a tubular section 23 which extends outwardly over the shaft 16. The middle section 21 has a bearing 2a for the shaft 12; the section 19 has the intern al teeth forming the stationary gear for cured to the spindle 18 of one of the diiier- Y ential gears 15 and a ring gear 19 is station-A the planetary gearing as above described; the section 22 telescopes somewhat into the'section 23 and has a bearing25 for a spider26, hereinafter more fully described; and thesection 23 forms the principal-supporting part of the structure, the wheels being supported upon its outer end. An inner flange 23 braces the outer end of the bearing section 22' as shown. All of these sections, including those on both sides of the middle section 21, are secured together by a'series ofv bolts 27 thus making a rigid construction.

The spider 26 above described includes spindles 28, for bearings 29 upon which the gears 2O rotate, and a ring 30 integral with these spindles. The two parts of the spider' are secured together `by nutsl 31.v rThe main part of thespider has a bearing32 for the end of the spindle 18 on the gear 15, and the ring 30 has a bearing forthe' hub34- cf the dif ferent-tal housing 13 upon which the gear 11 is mounted. A nut 35retains the inner race of the bearinf 32 on the spindle 18.

The bearing 25 for the spider 26 is retained in place by a nut 36 and ring 37 at theV outer end of the spider.y A packing ring 38 is secured yto the outer endof the bearing section 22 and makes a running joint with the circumference of thering 37 to retain the lubricant.

The spider 26 is formed with a hollow hubl 39 into which the inner end of the shaft 16' projects, vkeys and keyways et() being provided to cause-the parts to rotate together whilepermitting the shaft 16 to be readily withdrawn.

Allrorn' theabove it willbe seen that the maximum `amountof road clearance -is provided due to the fact that part of tho casing is formed bythe ring gear 19, and the construction as a whole is light and strong. n

. Referring to Figure 2, 110 and 111 are driv-V ing and driven gears respectively, the gear 110 being driven from the engine through shaft 112,1 and the gear 111 being mounted on the differential housing 113. The differi ential comprisespinions 114i and gears 115.

116`is thev axle shaft or f'section, 11? is the the other construction; but the bearing sec-V rpinion on the spindle 118, -119 is the ring Wear,

tion -122 lis arranged inwardly of the ring gear 119 and has a bearing 133 for the differential housing 113 on which is the gear 111. Thus there is an independent support for the differential housing, having no connection with the spider 126 of the planetary gearing. Also the section 123 directly supports a bearing 125 for the spider 126 above referred to. A nut 136, ring 137, and packing 138 are pro vided as in the ot-her construction.`

Gears 120 are mounted directly on spindles 128 on spider 126 and a bearing 132 is provided in the spider for the end of the spindle 118.

The maximum road clearance is also found in this construction and some advantage ac crues to having the independent mounting for the differential housing bearing.

I claim: l

1. In a vehicle axle, the combination with an axle casing, a differential housing, differential gearing mounted in said housing, driven axlesections, and planetary gearing means between said differential gearing and said axle sections and including a spider, a bearing between one of said differential gears and said spider vand a bearing between said differential housing and said spider.

2; In a driving axle, in combination, driving and driven gears, axle sections, a casing made up of sections including a middle section, gear sections, bearing sections, and tubular sections, said sections being bolted together, and planetary gearing between said gears and axle sections land "including as a part thereof the gear'sections of the casing.

3. In a driving axle for moto-r vehicles, a driveshaft, driven shaft sections, and operative driving connections' between the shaft and the shaft sections, including differential and planetary gearing, a spider` for saidv planetary gearing, and bearings for the differential housing carried by said spider.

4. In a driving axle for motor vehicles, a drive shaft, shaft sections, a" casing comprising a'middle section, tubular axle sec-` tions, and a member positioned between said sections of the casing and having a bearing, va spider mounted in said bearing `and connected to a shaft section, planet gears carried by said spider and gearing connections between said planet gears and said drive i shaft.

Lil

' pinion, a cagevconnected to said axle section,

and gears mounted in said cage land adapted to mesh withthe gear on said extension and said ring gear. y

6. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a

[planetary gearing comprising a ring gear to, a driven gear, a driven shaft, a connection between said driven gear and said driving gear, and another connection between said driven gear and said driven shaft, saidlast mentioned connection including a planetary gearing ycomprising a ring gear and planet gears, and a spider associated'with said planet` gears, said spider including bearings for said driving and driven gears.

y 8. In a driving axle mechanism, a driving. gear and driven gears interconnected therewith, axle sections connected' respectively to said driven gears, said axle connections'each including a. planetary gearing including a `ring gear and planet gears, and a spider associated vwith each planetary gearing, said spi ders each including a plurality of bearings `for said driving and driven gears.

Y 9. In combination, a driving gear, a driven gear, means interconnecting said gears, planetary gears connected to one of said first mentioned gears,a two part spider for said planetary gears, and a separate bearing in each part of said spider for said driving and driven gears.

10. In combination, a differential housing, differential gearing mounted in the housing, a planetary gearing comprising a ring gear and planet gears, said planet gears being connected to onek of said differential gears, a

spider for said planetary gearing having a plurality of sections, and a bearing in each section supporting one of the differential gears in one section and thedifferential housing in another section.

V11. In combination with a differential housing, differential gearing mounted in the Asaid planetary gearing `and having sections on opposite sides thereof and a bearing member in each of said sections supporting one of the differential gears vin one section and the differential housing in another section.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

, yHAROLD D. CHURCH. 

